Junichi Tazawa

Tazawa was once again a very dependable setup man in Bostonís bullpen, the third season heís performed in that role, until some late-season fatigue forced the Red Sox to shut him down in September. It...

Tazawa (shoulder) threw a 40-pitch bullpen session Sunday and is expected to throw a simulated game Tuesday, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal reports. MacPherson suggests that Tazawa's activation could come as early as Thursday, if all goes well.

Tazawa had a second consecutive strong season as a setup man for Boston in 2014, posting a 2.86 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 63 innings over 71 games. Outside of a couple of July outings, he was pretty consistent from April to September and maintained a strikeout per inning rate. His walk rate bumped up a little, but it was nothing too concerning. From the outside looking in, it seems like he'd be a closer candidate, but his strength is right where he's at now -- the eighth-inning bridge to the closer, whether that be Koji Uehara or Edward Mujica. If he's able to cut back on the free passes and return to his 2012-2013 levels, Tazawa should have little difficulty pitching to a sub-3.00 ERA for the third time in four seasons.

2014

After sneakily emerging as an effective reliever for Boston in 2012, Tazawa claimed a setup role for the team in 2013 and did not disappoint. He made a career-high 71 appearances (plus 13 more in the postseason) and struck out 72 batters while walking 12 in 68.1 innings. Toward the end of the season, the workload had its impact, but he righted himself for the postseason and still managed to get big outs. Tazawa is a strike-thrower who will turn 28 during the 2014 season, so he could still become a closer in future seasons. He will continue on as a setup man in 2014 however, but he might not be needed for as many appearances as Boston's bullpen figures to be deeper.

2013

Tazawa was a nice story for Boston in a miserable season. He struck out 45 batters and walked five in 44 relief innings and was near unhittable in September. The control he showed in Boston is a new development and may not be lasting, but his increased velocity has made him a top candidate as Boston's setup man in 2013. With Andrew Bailey, if healthy, slated to be Boston's closer in 2013, the team will be looking to address its needs in 2014 and Tazawa is being looked at for the role beyond this season.

2012

Tazawa made his return from Tommy John surgery in 2011, predictably having some initial trouble with command and reduced velocity on his fastball. Slowly, it all started to come back for Tazawa, who was mostly pitching out of the bullpen by the end of the season. He's going to open spring training working as a reliever, and will most likely be assigned to Triple-A Pawtucket to start the regular season. Just continuing to work his way back from the surgery is all that's expected in 2012, but he could find himself in the mix for a spot in Boston if he progresses in the first half of the season.

2011

Tazawa emerged on the scene when Boston tabbed him to make a handful of starts in 2009, however, he required Tommy John surgery in April 2010. The usual caveats apply for pitchers after elbow surgery. We'll see him pitching sometime during spring training, but there is obviously no plan to have him in Boston for 2011. Expect some tempered pitch- and innings-limits on him to start. The main goal is to get the elbow strong again. He had a nice array of secondary pitches prior to the injury, with his fastball needing the most improvement.

2010

Tazawa's handful of starts in the major leagues last year gave us an indication of the organization's confidence in the 23-year-old, though it's unlikely he's part of the rotation in 2010. He came to the States with an 88-92 mph and an advanced array of off-speed pitches, but it was unclear how effective he'd be coming from the Japanese industrial leagues. As it turns out, Tazawa was pretty good at Double-A Portland, using the off-speed stuff to keep hitters off balance while spotting his fastball inside. If anything, Tazawa could make the team as a long reliever and spot starter, though it's more likely he begins the season at Triple-A Pawtucket, where he can work on getting more movement on his fastball.

2009

Tazawa, who pitched in Japan's industrial leagues (roughly analogous to independent ball in the States), was expected to be the top pick in Japan's amateur draft this winter.
However, he wasn't drafted after he made it known he wanted to play in the U.S. and signed a three-year contract with the Red Sox.
He will likely start his career in the minors. He's not the finished product that Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima were when they arrived in Boston and is not clear whether the Red Sox project Tazawa as a starter or reliever, but they obviously like his upside.